A skier buried under an avalanche in Savoie found alive 24 hours after his disappearance

A 39-year-old man was found injured but alive on Monday November 9, 24 hours after being swept away by an avalanche in the Mont-Cenis massif, in Savoie, ICI Pays de Savoie learned from the CRS Alpes.

The man had gone ski touring in the Mont-Cenis massif on Saturday. After spending the night in a refuge, he was swept away by an avalanche on Sunday morning, in the Ambin valley sector, before falling into a crevasse. Despite fractures in both legs, he managed to find refuge in an air pocket.

Vigilance with the return of snow

The skier's relatives raised the alarm on Sunday. A team from the CRS Alpes de Modane was then engaged, without being able to locate him. The search resumed on Monday. After five hours of probing and digging in the area, rescuers finally managed to find the skier, guided by the sound of his voice. It was not equipped with an avalanche victim detector (AVD). The man was transported to Grenoble University Hospital. In hypothermia, he also suffered several fractures in both legs.

With the return of snow at altitude, rescuers are calling on skiers and hikers to exercise extreme caution and reminding them of the importance of equipping themselves with an avalanche victim detector.